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Ovidiu Alin Hațegan has probably been the most surprising name when UEFA released the EURO 2016 Referees. He belongs to the younger and more inexperienced group of referees at the final tournament. With the benefit of hindsight, his nomination was - maybe - not completely surprising: As influential UEFA Referee Committee member Kyros Vassaras is heading the Romanian Referee Department, Hațegan probably had some extra eyes on and support behind him.

Although he has officiated more Champions League matches than Marciniak
or Turpin, he rarely appeared in sonorous or medially important games.
But: Some months ago, he officiated his first Champions League K.O.
stage match (Man City vs Dynamo Kyiv) which shows that he more and more
savours UEFA's trust.

As it is quite usual with regard to referees from Balcan countries, his card average is relatively high. His Yellow Card average of 4,32 per international game is the 2nd highest of all 18 match officials (with a mean of 3,82 YCs, Hațegan's is 0,50 YC/game higher than the average).

Refereeing Style

Decision-Taker. Hațegan is not the biggest game-manager from my point of view. In most of his games, he rather focusses on applying and interpreting the Laws of the Game regardless of the consequences for the match as a "medial spectacle". His verbal and non-verbal communication skills are both solid, but are definitely not his key strengths. As described below, he has quite an individual style of officiating which we will be pleased to follow at the final tournament.

Very difficult to say. Probably, UEFA will only appoint him for group stage matches of lower profile. For Hațegan, the EURO participation already is a huge success and as he is definitely a referee for the future, he has plenty of time to grow. But considering the performance principle, it is nowhere written that Hațegan has no chances at all.